I don't care

Have you ever heard yourself saying “I don’t care anymore” even though you know you do, but you just can’t handle the frustration any longer? This is what happens when we have been carrying too many cares for way too long. We snap. We can’t care anymore, because it hasn’t helped, and nothing seems to be changing. Caring ends up leading to anxiety and worry. So, in order to survive, we either stop caring as much, or we receive the invitation from Jesus where he invites us into a life of being “carefree” and full of hope.

This is good news!  We can choose hope even when circumstances and situations aren’t changing. We can’t change or fix the people around us anyway, so what can we do that will proactively invest unconditional love into the relationships around us?

Consider changing the atmosphere:

When negativity is surrounding a relationship or even a room, you can set the thermostat. Instead of allowing another person’s mood or feelings to bring down the hope-level, partner with God. His joy is your strength. Invite His strength to take you back above the hope-line where there is freedom to feel love and peace again.  

Consider changing your response:

Most people react and respond within their relationships the same way over and over again. It becomes a cellular memory where you are “hit” with an emotional assault, and you automatically react with the same words, the same actions, and the same responses. And then we wonder why nothing is changing! You can’t change what you don’t notice. So, systematically notice how you react, and then partner with God and ask Him what your new response will look like. Remember, you can’t do this alone, but God is with you in every one of your relationships.

Consider changing your point of view:

It’s frustrating when you feel cheated, taken for granted or mistreated. It doesn’t feel fair, because, in reality, it isn’t fair. The automatic human response for this is to pick up a pair of glasses that filter your view of that person. In these “judgment” glasses, they are being such a _________.  (Most of us are able to call them a name at this point - yikes!) But relationships aren’t about being fair. Because mercy triumphs over judgment. When you choose to put on a pair of “mercy” glasses, you can see the “real them” again - God’s original design for them, before the brokenness and pain hurt their heart.  

Instead of holding your cares tight and letting them turn into worry and anxiety, “Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you”. (1 Peter 5:7)  Instead of being so care-full (full of heavy cares) that you snap, instead of being care-less (not caring anymore) become care-free, when you trust Jesus to hold onto you cares for you.  

What an invitation! Having hope in your heart is not conditional to how circumstances are panning out, or even how people are treating you  Living above the hope line means you aren’t heavy with cares, but rather floating up… lighter… free to trust God.

Hear more about this topic on Episode 16 of All About Relationships Podcast with Bob and Audrey.